Find extra cash for the holidays online

Need some extra cash, just in time for the holidays? Consider using eBay. Buying and reselling items that are no longer used around your home is a great way to bring in a little or a lot of extra cash. EBay is the worlds' largest online marketplace, where buyers and sellers come together and trade everything. The simple version of how to use eBay is this:

A seller lists an item on eBay, most anything from antiques to cars, books to sporting goods. The seller chooses to accept only bids for the item (an auction-type listing) or to offer the "buy it now" option, which allows buyers to purchase the item right away at a fixed price.

In an online auction, the bidding opens at a price the seller specifies and remains on eBay for a certain number of days. Buyers then place bids on the item. When the listing ends, the buyer with the highest bid wins.

In a buy it now listing, the first buyer willing to pay the seller's price gets the item.

Now, consider the other factors in eBay: How much can you make? How do you ship items? What are the fees involved? How much time does it take? All of these are simple tasks to overcome when using eBay. Put as much time into it as you want. It takes about five minutes to list one item and then wait a few days and let the bidders go after it. After your auction is over, ship the item. It's a wise decision to go to the post office ahead of time and have your item quoted for shipping costs. Then when you put the item up for auction, request that the buyer pay the shipping costs and list what they are. Then your asking/bidding price on your item is full profit, minus the eBay fees.

The eBay fees vary. Again, you can pick and choose how much you want to pay to list an item. From 10 cents to include a picture of an item to 9 percent of the final value of an auction. Nine percent is still a lot cheaper then selling through a consignment company, which can take up to 30 percent to 40 percent of your profit and take weeks to sell. On eBay, you pick the number of days you want an auction to last. You are in total control. You would be surprised what sells on eBay: children's toys, clothes, tools, even kitchen items. It's like finding the best garage sell ever! One more important thing to know. You need to sign up for an eBay account and then sign up for a PayPal account. (eBay can walk you through this.They even have videos to illustrate). You'll soon see how much fun it is to sit behind your computer and watch your items sell than to have a garage sale and deal with parking and haggling with buyers over the price of your items.

Jennifer Richardson teaches couponing and money saving classes, as well as survival and prepping classes at Bossier Parish Community College. Contact her at jennandrob1@yahoo.com.

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Find extra cash for the holidays online

Need some extra cash, just in time for the holidays? Consider using eBay. Buying and reselling items that are no longer used around your home is a great way to bring in a little or a lot of extra